Dissertation Writing- Presentation of Findings

What is the primary purpose of move 1 in a Results chapter?

• Present all research findings in detail

• Introduce and provide context for the reader

• Analyse the significance of the findings

• Summarise the entire dissertation

Which of the following sentences represents Move 1?

• The study identified a correlation with wider research regarding how younger people use Instagram as their social media platform of choice

• This chapter presents the results of the data collection and examines how they relate to existing literature

• "Twitter feels more corporate and is for following companies such as football teams"

• "Participants reported using social media primarily during commuting hours"

Which excerpt best represents Move 2?

• Table 4.1 provides a breakdown of reported microaggressions by workplace sector.

• The study's findings align with Smith's (2020) view of gendered use in social media.

• It appears that social media users form deeper parasocial relationships when celebrity interactions are personal.

• This chapter explores the representation of traditional Chinese culture through visual semiotics

Which sentence best illustrates Move 3?

• Table 5.3 shows the percentage of participants who reported increase social media usage during lockdown

• The high participation rate in this research is more likely linked to the fact that respondents completed the questionnaire in a physical education class

• The main aim of this chapter is to present the findings related to social media and celebrity authenticity

• Surveys were used to gather data from 150 participants across different age groups.

A student writes the following excerpt in their Results chapter.

"Table 2 shows 62% of respondents prefer digital newspapers over print versions. The next most popular option was television news (24%). The remaining 14% either used social media or did not engage with news regularly.

What is missing here?

• Move 1- The writer has not introduced or signposted the findings

• Move 2- The results are unclear and need better data presentation

• Move 3- There is no interpretation of what the findings mean.

The sentence below is missing Move 3 as there is no interpretation of findings. Fix it- add a sentence or two explaining what the results suggest. What is your interpretation of this data? Is it surprising, is it predictable? Does it confirm existing beliefs, knowledge or prior research?

"Table 4.2 shows that 62% of respondents prefer digital newspapers over print versions. The next most popular option was television news (24%). The remaining 14% either used social media or did not engage with news regularly."

Which of the following sentences incorrectly uses hedging language?

• It is possible that the increase in engagement was influenced by the rise in remote work during the pandemic.

• The findings clearly prove that students who use digital note-taking have significantly better memory retention than those who take notes by hand.

• These results suggest that there may be a link between social media usage and anxiety levels, though further research is needed

• The data indicate that some participants appeared to prefer asynchronous learning over live online lectures.

Answer explanation

The phrase "clearly prove" is too strong. Academic writing avoids absolute claims.

Revised version with hedging:
"The findings suggest that students who use digital note-taking may have better memory retention than those who take notes by hand, though further research is needed to confirm this relationship."

-'suggest' instead of 'prove' is more cautious

-'May' acknowledges uncertainity

-'further research is needed' shows academic caution